Astros' rotation continues to thin out with Ronel Blanco set for Tommy John

Houston Astros right-handed starting pitcher Ronel Blanco will have season-ending Tommy John surgery next week. The 31-year-old Blanco was 3-4 with a 4.10 ERA in nine starts this season prior to sustaining the injury.

The team made the announcement on Wednesday after Blanco got a second opinion. He was placed on the injured list last week with inflammation in his throwing elbow, a few days after his last start on May 17.

"I know how hard he's worked to get to this point, and it stinks," manager Joe Espada said. "So the goal is now to get him healthy, get him back at some point next season."

Blanco is the second Astros starter this month to have to undergo Tommy John surgery after they announced on May 18 that right-hander Hayden Wesneski would also need it. 

Espada said it's a trying time for his team, which also is without right-hander Spencer Arrighetti, who has been out since April after breaking his right thumb in a batting practice mishap. They also are missing right-handers Luis Garcia and Cristian Javier, who are both still recovering from Tommy John surgery.

"It’s very, very hard," Espada said. "We went through it last year. But as a team and as a leader of this team, I got to keep these guys focused on the goal ... and this news means we gotta pick each other up, and we've gotta find someone else. Somebody will come up and step up and pick these innings up."

With the health of multiple starters in question for the majority of this season, the Astros have had to search for replacements. In 54 games this season, 10 different pitchers have started for the Astros. Their current rotation is headlined by Hunter Brown, who leads MLB with seven wins and owns a 2.00 ERA through 11 starts, and Framber Valdez, a two-time